TSA screenings: What protections do you have?

ByElizabeth Fuller, CorrespondentNovember 19, 2010

Full-body scans and enhanced pat-downs have become America’s “primary screening” technique, but have also generated a rising tide of criticism for being too invasive. At each of the 68 major airports where the 385 new full-body scanners are in place, passengers will be directed to them, says Sarah Horowitz, spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Here's what to expect – and what protections you can demand:

The machine will use either X-ray backscatter or millimeter waves to look through your clothes and create an outline of your body.

Some passengers report feeling a buzzing or vibration in the air; others feel nothing. The scan lasts for 10 to 20 seconds, during which any metal, ceramic, or other dense materials will show up on an image of you that will be seen by another TSA agent – Agent Chris.

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